Method of and means for burning pulverulent fuels



June 16, 1925.-

E. B. WORTHINGTON I METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR "BURNING PULVERULENT. FUELS Filed 001:, 2, 1920 "oonoooooooeoooooooo IIW INVENTODV ATTORNEY WITNESSES UNITE STA 1,542,,i22 PATET EDWARD B. WORTHINGION, 0E CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE M. A. HANNA COMPANY OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OLE-AND MEANS FOR BURNING PULVERULENT FUELS.

Application filed October 2, 1920. Serial No. 414,162.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD B. WORTH- INGTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods :of and Means for Burning Pulverulent Fuels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in method of and means for burning pulverulent fuels and has for its object the economical burning of such fuels, particularly those of low volatile content which require the maintenance of high igniting temperatures, and further, the disposition of the resulting ash and slag.

Furnaces burning pulverulent fuels, such as anthracite culm, and coke breeze, because of the high internal temperatures and the character of fuel employed, are especially subject to the disadvantages: attendant upon the accumulation of slag therein and the necessity for preventing its accumulation in large masses. In the patent to Grindle, No. 1,228,769, June-5th, 1917, there is set forth a furnace seemingly adapted for burning high volatile ulverized coal, wherein the bottom is equipped with opendrlp upon a water-flushed surface beneath the combustion chamber, while fluxing material is provided to reduce; the melting point of the slag. It has been-found, however, in operating a furnace o-fithis general type and using low volatile fuels, that the openings in the furnace bottom constantly tend to become clogged by the accumulation of cooling slag, and frequently it 'becomes necessary to shut down the furnace and, remove the slag unless further means are provided for melting it at unnecessary expense.

Accordingly, I have sought to improve upon furnaces burning pulverulent fuels, first, by providing a combustion chamber in which the low volatile fuels are readily maintained. at igniting temperature and economically burned in space; second, by

providing a fiat and preferably slo ing bottom for the combustion chamber a 0rdingno openings or spaces for clogging, and,

third, by equipping. the combustion chamber with a water su .ply for continuously moistening and cooling the bottom, and

in section.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings l have employed the same characters of reference to indicate similar parts.

Referring first to Fig. 2, the general characteristics of the furnace with its superposed boiler will very readily be appreciated. Said furnace at is shown with the water tube boiler b positioned above the vertically elongated combustion chamber 0 and its exit flue d. However, the improvements of my invention are adapted for general use ings through which the slag is designed to and the drawings should be considered merely as illustrative and somewhat diagrammatic in their showin I The fuel-supplying nozfie e extending across the u per portion of the arch c is equipped wit ipes e and e" by which the pulverized ant racite and air under pressure respectively are supplied to the combustion chamber. Preferably the air supply is such as to direct the fuel downwardy at a relatively low velocity, while the slotted mouth of the nozzle is angularly adjustable, as indicated by the dotted lines, in order to assist in positioning the burning fuel cloud within chamber 0.

. A sloping, flat bottom 0 is provided for the unobstructed combustion chamber 0,

with which are associated a plurality, of

water supply pipes f protectively enclosed in the rear wall of the furnace. These supply pipes are connected with the main f and the control of such supply is found in the valve f associated with each. furnace in the battery, as is usual in commercial installations. Normally the water supply across the bottom during the operation of lid the furnace is suflicient merely to maintain the bottom cool and in moist condition-and carry off the finer and disintegrated portions of the slag and ash. However, the valve f is opened wide at intervals in order to afford a strong flow of water across the bottom toward the trough, g, in volumes sufiicient to flush the accumulated slag out of the combustion chamber and carry it awa through the trough.

aking further reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the burning fuel cloud is maintained in' space away from the bottom and vertical walls of the combustion chamber and looping back through the exit flue, as indicated by the dotted lines. This subjects the incoming fuel cloud to an intense igniting temperature and at the same time avoids injury and partial fusion of the furnace walls as a result of intense heating by an impacting or adjacent flame.

This reverting flame is provided with a regulated air supply for completing combustion which enters through the several controllable openings 72, at the rear of the furnace. Each opening is provided with an adjustable closure or door 72.. In addition, an initial air supply is provided for the entering fuel through the adjustable closure associated with the fuel-supplying means at the upper portion of the furnace.

WVhile a small flow of water. is found to be sufficient for cooling the products of combustion as they -reach the bottom so that the slag does not accumulate in large, solid masses, as otherwise it would, and also serves to carry off the smaller particles of disintegrated slag and ash, this is not found materially to decrease the efficiency of the furnace. Howevemthe bodies of slag are permitted to accumulate until flushing is found necessary, whereupon a brief and very considerable increase in. the water supply will serve completely to clear the sloping bottom of its accumulations and carry the same off through trough 9.

Of course, the excess flow of water within the combustion chamber is attended by somewhat lowered efliciency, but this is not materially meterthe opening of the doors of a manually fired furnace for the purpose of removin the ashes. It will be observed that the elongated combustion chamber of my furnace positions the water cooled bottom at a considerable distance from the deflagrating fuel cloud, and the normal minimum flow of water across the bottom maintained during the extended intervals of firing, abstracts very little heat from said chamber. The described mode of disposing of the ash and slag accordingly avoids the influx of an excess of air, thus conducing to better and more complete combustion and the maintenance of t e igniting temperature. It econothan that attendant upon mizes fuel and labor cost in operation of my furnace.

Except as hercinbefore distinguished, my present improvements as to method and means are like those set forth in my prlor application, Ser. No. 394,894, July 9th, 1920, to which reference is made for supplementary data.

Having now described the preferred method and means forpracticing my invcntion, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, together with such departures therefrom as may be attributable merely to skill in the art, the fOllOWlIlg:

1. The herein described method of ring with pulverulent fuels, which consists in directing a fuel cloud downwardly at low velocity within a combustion chamber, causing the deflagrating fuel to burn as an upwardly reverting flame in space and at a distance above an inclined bottom, directing a restricted surface flow of water across said bottom, and intermittently effecting the removal of any accumulated ash and slag from the bottom, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein described method of firing with pulverulent fuels, which consists in introducing the fuel at low velocity into the upper portion of a combustion chamber in the form of a broad thin curtain, causing the deflagrating fuel to revert upwardly in a loop closely adjacent to the entering fuel and aim distance from the bottom and vertical walls of said chamber, supplying regulated quantities of air with the incoming fuel cloud and from beneath the reverting loop of combustible, directing a limited surface flow of water across the bottom of the chamber, and removing any accumulated ash and slag at intervals from said bottom by said flow, substantially as set forth.

with ulverulent fuels, which consists in directing such fuel'downwardly at a low velocity within the combustion chamber, causing the 'deflagrating fuel to burn in space above a water-cooled bottom and away from the lateral walls of the chamber, directing the flow of a limited quantity of water across said bottom, and intermittently flushing the bottom by increasing the flow of water to remove any accumulation of ash and slag therefrom, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein described method of firing With pulverulent fuels which consists in directing a fuel cloud and partial air supply downwardly within a combustion chamber,

causing the defiagrating fuel to burn as an upwardly reverting flame in space above an inclined water-flushed bottom, directing and regulating the combustion-supporting supply of air from beneath said reverting flame, continuously directingsuch flow of water across the bottom as will maintain it hit) 3. The herein described method of firing liu ' in moist condition, and intermittently flushing the accumulations of slag and ash therenuance from, substantially as set forth; A,

5. In a furnace of the class described, the combination with its combustion chamber, of means for directing a fuel cloud downwardly therein, means for providing an air supply above and below said fuel cloud,

' means for controlling the air supply from the upper and lower portions of said chamber, and means for cooling and flushing its bottom, substantially as set forth.

6. In a furnace of the class described, the

combination with its combustion chamber having an inclined bottom,'of means for di recting a fuel cloud downwardly therein from the upper portion of said chamber,

means for providing an air supply above and below said fuel cloud, means for controlling the air supply from above and below the deflagrating fuel cloud, and means for directing "a flow of water across said inclined bottom sufiiciently to cool and flush the products of combustion'therefrom, subs'tantially as set forth.

7 In a furnace of the class described, the

combination with a vertical and unobstructed combustion chamber having an inclined bottom, of means for directing a fuel cloud downwardly therein,.means for providing an air supply 'above and below said fuel cloud, means forcontrolling the air supply from above and below the de fiagrating fuel cloud, and means for directing a flow of water acrosssaid inclined bottom, whereby it .may be moistened and flushed, substantially as set forth. 7

8. In a furnace of the class described, the

combination with its vertical and unobstructed combustion chamber equipped with a fuel cloud and a partial air supply from above, means for providing and regulating a combustion-supporting air supply from below \the deflagrating fuel, protected water ducts adjacent to the upper level of the inclined bottom, and means for directing a regulated supply of water through said ducts and across the inclined bottom, substantially as set forth.

9. In a furnace of the class described, the combination with a vertically elongated combustion chamber, of means for producing combustion in space intermediately of the Walls thereof, an'inclined bottom for said combustion chamber positioned at a distance from the zone of combustion adapt- -ed directly to receive the solid products thereof, and means for moistening and cooling the bottom of said combustion chamber, substantially as set forth. 1

10. The herein described method of firing with pulverulentfuels, which consists in directing a fuel cloud downwardly within the combustion chamber, causing the deflagrating fuel to burn as an upwardly reverting flame in space above a water-flushed In testimony whereof I do now afiia my signature.

EDWARD B. WORTHINGTON.

- an inclined bottom, ofmeans for supplying 

